Entertainment Era: My Good Sister Is All Over the World
Chapter 51 The Young and Naïve Chung Chu-hung
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Huang Wenbin certainly has the heart of a director, but he's not ready yet.
Because the mainland still has a system of unified sales and purchase, even if you do a great job, you only get a fixed salary.
Moreover, they still cannot fully control what they want to film or what they are capable of filming.
Unless he can film a movie in Hong Kong, or be hired as a director by funding from Hong Kong.
Huang Wenbin has been quietly making plans to achieve this goal.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have become friends with Zhang Xinyan and Li Hanxiang.
He is now slowly accumulating experience and strength, and then waiting for the right time to break free from his constraints.
Of course, Huang Wenbin only wanted to break free from the constraints of creation and profit, not to immigrate.
This is different from Li Lianjie.
Li Lianjie practiced martial arts from a young age, and by his teens he had earned the highest salary in the martial arts team. He also frequently performed abroad, so he had long been acquainted with the prosperity of the outside world.
Before filming "Shaolin Temple", he had thought about making movies to change his fate.
During his martial arts performances in Hong Kong, he approached Zhang Xinyan to ask if he could make a movie.
At that time, he was still young, and Zhang Xinyan didn't have a suitable script, so there was no possibility of collaboration.
After "Shaolin Temple" became a hit, Jet Li realized he was still only getting a fixed salary, so his mind naturally started to wander.
After filming a few more movies, he realized that this couldn't continue. So, on the advice of some people in Hong Kong, he went to the United States in 1988. Although he hadn't changed his citizenship, he had already left his original workplace—what's called "washing his identity" in Hong Kong. After that, he was able to get paid for acting roles again.
In 97, Jet Li acquired American citizenship, and in 99 he officially married Li Zhi in the United States, which was widely reported by Hong Kong media.
Huang Wenbin has a different approach to the game, so he doesn't need to go through as much trouble as Li Lianjie. He also has enough patience to take things slowly.
The filming was proceeding smoothly.
We only filmed those two scenes all day, and then we wrapped up.
In terms of efficiency, it is indeed relatively low, but slow and meticulous work is also a characteristic of mainland China in this era.
Another important point is that for ordinary crew members, the faster the filming pace, the less compensation they receive.
Even if Chen Huaikai wants to rush the production, he has to consider the opinions of his subordinates. Otherwise, it won't be so easy for him to recruit people for his next film.
After filming for two days, Xu Xiaoming suddenly came to their door.
"Brother Xu, what brings you here?"
Huang Wenbin looked surprised and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Weren't you helping your friend's film crew?"
"Don't even mention it." Xu Xiaoming gave a wry smile and said with a hint of complaint, "I took over a mess, and then it got worse and worse with each take. It was just one step away from being a complete disaster."
Huang Wenbin asked, puzzled, "What happened?"
Xu Xiaoming said, "It's a long story."
"Then let's get to the point," Huang Wenbin replied.
Xu Xiaoming was taken aback for a moment, then gave a wry smile and said, "Okay, I'll be frank, I came here to ask for your help."
Huang Wenbin didn't refuse and asked directly, "Just tell me what our relationship is."
"I need your help to revise a script!" Xu Xiaoming took out a stack of slightly yellowed manuscript paper from his bag. "This lousy script is giving me a headache. I've revised it several times, but it's still a mess."
Huang Wenbin took the manuscript paper and flipped through it casually. The first page showed the title of the script: "The Deadly Gold in the Cold Mountains and Green Waters".
Ok?
Isn't this Johnnie To's directorial debut? It should have been filmed by now, so why is it still in the script revision stage?
Huang Wenbin looked up at Xu Xiaoming with a puzzled expression.
Xu Xiaoming recounted the unfortunate experiences of Du Qifeng and Liu Songren, and then added: "After I went there, I saw this terrible script, and I couldn't help but change the later scenes, and then we continued filming."
There's an old saying that goes: When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause you to choke.
On my first day of filming, the lead actress, Cherie Chung, developed a fever, and the cinematographer, Chung Chi-man, broke his leg.
They're all in the hospital in Guangzhou right now. I took this opportunity to come and see you to revise the script. If the script isn't revised, it'll be useless even if we film it.
Huang Wenbin was speechless. He must have offended the Grand Duke Jupiter, otherwise how could he be so unlucky?
He was still a little puzzled. Could it be that his time travel had caused some disturbance?
In fact, while the film's production was unlucky in terms of timing, it wasn't this bad.
"Let me take a look at the script first."
Huang Wenbin quickly put aside these random thoughts and began to look at the script in his hand.
After quickly reading it, he immediately made a judgment.
Xu Xiaoming is right, this script is a pile of shit.
The premise was chaotic, the logic was flawed, the plot was disorganized... In the end, it was simply impossible to salvage and ended up being a complete disaster.
The main villain kidnapped the female lead, intending to force the male lead to his mercy.
Male protagonist: Let her go, this is between us.
The main villain: I will kill her!
Male protagonist: You wouldn't be so despicable.
The main villain: I will.
Then, he slit the female lead's throat with a knife.
The female lead died just like that, and the male lead suddenly became powerful and killed the main villain.
What kind of international joke is this?
Before his time travel, Huang Wenbin had never seen this movie. He only knew that it was Johnnie To's debut film, which seemed to have received low reviews and flopped at the box office.
Looking at it now, with such a terrible script, it would be a miracle if it didn't flop.
Moreover, this thing is not easy to modify because the framework is also terrible.
Huang Wenbin noticed that there were many new handwritings in the corners of the script, which were obviously revised by Xu Xiaoming.
However, the script is garbage, and no matter how much it's revised, it's just adding decorations to garbage.
After making this movie, Director To felt his own abilities were insufficient and went back to TVB to honestly make TV dramas.
He didn't return to making films until the late 1980s, and then his style finally took shape in the late 1990s. He founded Milkyway Image and finally, at the beginning of the new century, he burst onto the scene with a unique flair.
Huang Wenbin asked, "Is it really necessary to film this script?"
"What else can we do?" Xu Xiaoming pursed his lips. "Damian (Liu Songren's English name) has already invested hundreds of thousands of his savings and filmed almost half of the scenes in the early stages. Now that he's switching to filming something else, he doesn't have any money left."
"I can help him make changes, but I can't guarantee he'll make money. Don't blame me if he loses!" Huang Wenbin wasn't a saint; he wouldn't take on something that wouldn't benefit him.
He decided to revise the script out of consideration for Xu Xiaoming, and to make Liu Songren and Du Qifeng owe him favors so that he could easily get them to do things for him in the future.
Xu Xiaoming said directly, "Don't worry, they'll still pay you. They won't owe you anything, and they won't blame you if you lose money!"
"Money? I don't lack that little bit of money." Huang Wenbin shook his head and said, "I just want to make friends with them."
"If you can really revise the script well, I'll be your godfather, not just a friend!"
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from outside the door, speaking in broken Mandarin.
Huang Wenbin looked at the person standing at the door and realized it was Liu Songren.
However, at this moment, his hair was messy and his clothes were dirty, and he did not have the elegant demeanor of Chen Jinnan, the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, who was dressed in white.
Xu Xiaoming asked in surprise, "Aren, what brings you here? Weren't you taking care of Ahong at the hospital?"
"I'm all better now." A clear and gentle voice rang out from outside, but it was spoken in Cantonese.
Huang Wenbin had spent a few years in Guangdong Province before his time travel, so he could understand and speak Cantonese.
"Let me introduce you," Xu Xiaoming said, pointing to Liu Songren. "This is my friend, Liu Songren."
"Hello," Liu Songren said in broken Mandarin, "I'm Niu Songren."
Huang Wenbin nodded: "Hello, I am Huang Wenbin."
"That beautiful lady over there is Chung Chor-hung," Xu Xiaoming pointed to the girl standing outside the door. "She's the same age as you, and she was the fourth runner-up in this year's Miss Hong Kong pageant."
"Don't mention what place you got!" Chung Chu-hung glared at Tsui Hiu-ming with displeasure, but still politely said to Wong Man-bun, "I am Chung Chu-hung. My Mandarin is not very good, please forgive me."
Hong Gu!
How could I not recognize you?
One of the must-have female protagonists in Hong Kong entertainment novels.
There was a saying in Hong Kong back then: "No one is more successful than Chow Yun-fat, and no one is more popular than Cherie Chung."
However, Chung Chor-hung is currently only a 19-year-old girl who hasn't fully matured yet. She's like a green apple, and her charm is less than a tenth of its peak.
She was truly at her most beautiful after the age of twenty-six, reaching the peak of her looks and charm in the 1991 film "Once a Thief".
Unfortunately, he got married at the end of that year and then retired from acting.
Huang Wenbin smiled faintly and said, "Miss Zhong, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Liu Songren said earnestly, "Mr. Huang, if you help me revise the script, I, Liu Songren, will owe you a favor for the rest of my life! This is my life's work; I've invested all my savings. Now I just want to finish filming it and release it; I don't care whether it makes money or not."
"How about this, I'll revise the script for you." Huang Wenbin's eyes darted around, and he suddenly had an idea: "But I need you and Ms. Zhong to have a cameo role in 'Let the Bullets Fly,' how about that?"
Since Liu Songren has come here, he must know that a movie is being filmed here.
However, he was somewhat troubled.
For the Hong Kong film industry at that time, Taiwan was a major box office market. There were regulations there that if you had any ties with the mainland, you would be blacklisted by Taiwan!
Xu Xiaoming saw Liu Songren's hesitation and stepped forward to slap him: "What are you hesitating about? You don't actually think you own the Taiwan market, do you? Whether there's a ban or not, what does it have to do with you!"
Liu Songren retorted defiantly, "I'll have it someday."
Xu Xiaoming snapped, "We'll talk about that when you have that day. Your problem right now is that this movie is going to have a difficult birth! How are you going to handle that then?"
"I understand." Liu Songren nodded. "However, I need to ask Ah Hong's opinion."
Huang Wenbin said, "Of course."
Liu Songren and Xu Xiaoming conveyed Huang Wenbin's message together.
"Okay!" Chung Chu-hung didn't hesitate at all and nodded with a smile in agreement.
Liu Songren whispered a reminder: "If you show your face here, you'll be blacklisted in Taiwan. Your movies won't be able to sell there anymore."
"What does it matter?" Chung Chor-hung didn't think she could become famous. "I'm just too curious about how movies are made here. Besides, it's just a cameo, what's the big deal? If I get banned, so be it. I'll just stop making movies."
Cherie Chung is indeed not someone who lingers in the limelight; on the contrary, she has always wanted to find a suitable person to marry. Otherwise, she wouldn't have retired from the entertainment industry right after getting married.
At only 19 years old, Cherie Chung already shows some of the characteristics of Cherie Chung.
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